News of the Week (February 18th, 2018)

Gun Rights

The Solution to Preventing School Shootings Is Easy, and Many Are Not Going to Like It
It’s tough having to write this article again. Not because it’s horrible having to cover a topic under the worst of circumstances, but because in order to suggest this one has to seemingly put his heart down as so many others are breaking in half in order to turn to cold logic. But in this case, cold logic is going to save lives, and keep hearts whole.

Overheated claims on global temperature records
Over and over, we are confronted with claims that last month or last year was “the warmest on record.” Each claim is accompanied by dire warnings that the alleged new records portend “unprecedented” chaos for wildlife, humans and planet.

Obamacare

Government in Healthcare

The Not-So-Precious Truth About the “Precious” NHS
When British Prime Minister Theresa May gave her traditional New Year’s speech on December 31, one line — actually, just one word — jumped out at me. May spoke of the importance of “taking a balanced approach to government spending, so we get our debt falling but can also invest in the things that matter — our schools, our police and our precious NHS.”

New Dutch law makes every adult an organ donor
The Netherlands has passed a controversial new law making everyone a potential organ donor unless they specifically opt out. Similar donation laws already exist in Spain, Belgium and France.

Idaho defies Obamacare — but will feds intervene?
Republicans didn’t get a chance to repeal ObamaCare in 2017, but at least one state has decided to test how far the Trump administration will go in enforcing it. After HHS signaled that states might be able to allow the sale of non-ACA-compliant plans, Idaho decided to take the leap. Now, NPR reports, Blue Cross has launched several new plans tailored to the needs of those who have balked at buying health insurance in the past.

War & Terror

War Could Break Out in the Mideast
All eyes are focused on the Olympics, where a younger generation of naive South Koreans was being seduced over the weekend by the sibling of the Thug of the North. But the bigger story, which we hope will not unfold, at least this week, is in another part of the world, with profound implications beyond that region. More on that, in a moment.

Opinion

The Kinky Queer Intersectional Feminist: Empowerment by Sado-Masochism?
Suz Ellis (@redhotsuz on Twitter) is a Canadian sex blogger who is “currently pursuing a double major in Communications and Multimedia, and hope to one day work within the sexuality industry.” What? You had not previously realized that “sexuality” is now an “industry” in Canada? Welcome to the 21st-century, where every Canadian college girl can aspire to a career in the “sexuality industry” thanks to the empowering influence of feminism.

Time to Break Up the Big Four
Back in July, in this space, I warned about the dangers of the emerging tech monopolies, principally the weaponizing of Amazon via its ownership of the Washington Post.

Your Homophobia Is a “Direct Threat” of “Potential Violence,” Says Queer Feminist
“Ellie” (@helliebeanz on Twitter) is a 22-year-old university art student in Tampa. She is a self-described “queer” Cuban-American who is “severely mentally ill.” She is “disabled,” and says she has “been professionally diagnosed with borderline personality disorder, bipolar type II, and PTSD.” She is into comics, “body positivity, mental health awareness . . . astrology” and, of course, “intersectional feminism.”